Water-filter.



PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

C. KASPBR. WATER FILTER.

APPLIOATION FILED nu 26.1904.

WTNESSES.'

A TTORNE UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

CHRISTIAN KASPER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WATER-FILTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '788.359, dated VApril25, 1905.

Application filed May 26, 1904. Serial No. 209,833. I

T0 1f/ZZ wwne it may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN KAsPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,

rhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tater-Filters; andI do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip-`tion of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to water-filters; and the invention consists in afilter adapted to be set in a service-pipe for a building through whichthe water-supply enters and which has a suitable casing anda gravityplunger-filter, all substantially as shown and described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plain side elevation of myinvention, showing the casinglin upright position and the water-pipesconnected therewith as in use. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectionalelevation of the filter,sl1owing the casing partly broken out at one endand considerably enlarged as compared with Fig. l. thefiltering-plunger.

As thus shown, the invention is designed to filter water by the gravityof the filter proper instead 0f relying upon the water-pressure from themain, as heretofore universally employed, so far as I know and believe.In all such cases where a filter or filtering medium is interposed`inthe waterway and waterpressure drives the water through the filterthere is an unavoidable deposit of foreign substances upon the exposedsurface of the filter,

which accumulate and become foul and offensive and exceedingly obnoxiousas well as unhealthful as the filterlng process goes on.

-Various schemes have been devised from time to time for getting rid ofthese accumulations,

,and in some instances a reversal of the water through the filter hasbeen employed and in others special means for removing theaccumulations; but as a rule the objection remained because the tendencyin any household or to practically avoid this objection and to em- Fig.3 is a detail of' ploy a filtering medium which both filters and createsthe pressure by which filtering is carried on. In other words,Iuse agravity-filter or filtering device, which itself' creates the pressureby which the water is forced through the filter, and I further plan toprotect this filtering medium or filter proper from the direct contactof the unfiltered water by interposing a shield and trap, therebycausing any foreign substances which otherwise might be carried forwardagainst the filter to be deposited in the trap or dead-water spacebeneath the filter and wherein such deposits may accumulateand be drawnoff. It is furthermore provided that practically no filtering shalloccur other than through the gravitv action of the filter itself, sothat the filter is not exposed to such deposits as formerly and as willnow be further explained.

Thus A represents a cylinder or casing which is designed to be of suchstrength as will withstand city pressure here and there and which may beconstructed to suit the higher or lower lpressures in different citiesif this be thought best. Ordinarily the said cylinder is about five feetin length and seven inches in diameter and adapted to hold approximatelyeight gallons of filtered water above the filter. The said cylindertherefore becomes also in a sense a reservoir for filtered water as wellas a filter-casing, and the filter B is adapted to be raised byHuid-pressure through the pipe 2 from its seat or support on said pipe,as seen in Fig. 2, to the top of the cylinder as the filtered water iswithdrawn, and suitable gaskets 3 above and below serve to make aperfectly water-tight connection between the filter and the side or wallof cyliny der A, thus preventing Water from passing the filter about itssides. Any suitable construction of body or embodiment for the filtermay be employed, and in this instance the said body B contains what isshown as a sand-chamber b, with fine wire or mesh c top and bottom andcentrally, closely enough woven in any case to confine the sand or othermaterial or medium and yet porous or open to permit a flow of watertherethrough, and the water having passed the said sand-charnber it goesnext to a fibrous filtering medium IOO consisting in this instance of aheavy layer of cotton 4, supported between suitable wire or like meshes5 top and bottom, and cotton or any equivalent thereof may be used whichwill serve as a perfect screen for particles that escape the sand andmay be carried forward with the current. Obviously I may incorporateanything I find desirable with the sand, such as charcoal or the like,and I can employ any suitable filtering medium, granular or other, asmay be found desirable. Vhen the filter B has been carried forward orupward by the water-pressure, it will continue to travel in thisdirection as long as water is withdrawn and until it reaches the end ofits stroke in the top of the casing, when filtering practically ceasesbecausefthe outlet-pipe 6 is substantial] y closed by the spider D atthe top of the said filter. This spider has a solid central portioncovering the bottom opening of pipe 6 and which closes the said opening,eX- cepting that there is a small orifice (Z through its center, throughwhich asmall portion of water may pass; but this is much less than thecapacity of either the inlet or the outlet of the casing, and thispreserves my method of filtering, which is designed to operate in suchmanner that there shall at no time be such pressure of unfiltered wateragainst the filter as will lodge foreign substances thereon. Anotherspider, E, is screwed into the bottom of filter B and has asubstantially saucer-shaped sediment-guard F secured thereto and whichcuts off a direct fiow of the water through pipe 2 against the bottom ofthe filter B. This guard deflects and confines the iiow of water beneaththe same and forms a trap at least as deep as pipe 2 where the foreignsubstances deposit, while the water is permitted to rise only throughthe narrow space about the edge of said guard or shield. The sedimenttrap or chamber of course deepens with the rising of filter B, and thesaid guard F goes therewith, but makes protection against the bottom ofthe filter continuous notwithstanding, and when the filter has againdescended, as shown in Fig.2, the supply-pipe 2 is practically closed bythe parts resting thereon and which forms a down stop or support for thevalve. The said filter in detail comprises a containingcylinder 7 andinternally-threaded and flanged i end rings 8, which are duplicates ofeach other and support said cylinder, and an upper supplemental or headportion 9, constructed to carry the cotton 4 and its mesh and spider D,as shown, and is threaded into the upper ring 8. All the parts of thefilter are thus made separable one from another, and the filter can bebodily removed from either end of the casing for renewal of any part orportion, as may be rendered necessary in the use of the filter.

G indicates a drain-pipe at the bottom of the cylinder, and H is anoutside pipe connecting with pipes 2 and 6 at the ends of the cylinderand having an inlet or supply pipe /L and an outlet L' for the filteredwater and -valves 10 and 12, respectively, on opposite sides of theinlet or water-supply pipe L, whereby valve 10 may be closed and thevalve 12 opened and the fiowof water through the filter be reversed tocleanse the filter of any possible accumulations upon its surface; or,if desired, the valve 10 may be closed and valve 12 opened, and thefilter can be thus cut out and a direct fiow of water obtained to thebuilding. Suitable caps or heads 14 and 15 close the ends of thecylinder.

One advantage in having the cotton filtering material in the open-sidedhead 9, above the filter-body B, is to catch any water that may havecrept by the lower packing 3 and cause it to passthrough the cotton, andthus be filtered at least to that extent.

In the foregoing method or manner of filtering water it will be noticedthat the filter proper is first of all raised in its casing, say, to itslimit, which practically cuts off the flow of water through theapparatus. Then, assuming that the draw-off cocks are closed, thelift-water is filtered by the gravity descent of the filter itself,which is heavy enough to do this work with all needed rapidity.

The centrally-arranged wire mesh or screens c are embedded within thesand to more solidly pack the sand and to prevent it from churningduring the passage of the water through the same. The head portion 9 ofthe filter when rotated and screwed into cylinder 7 bears upon an innerspider or packing-ring laid upon the top of the upper wire mesh orscreen c, and serves to press or pack the sand more or less tightlywithin the cylinder and as much as may be desired.

What I claim is- 1. In filters, a casing constructed to be set into theservice-pipe from a water-main, in combination with a gravity-filter insaid casing, said filter being disengaged from said casing at both endsand packed about its side, whereby when water is drawn the filter willrise under pressure from the main and expel the water above the same inthe top of the casing, substantially vas described.

2. A fiuid-filter consisting of a casing having a fluid-inlet at one endand a fiuid-outlet at the other end, and a filter in said casingconstructed to filter by its own gravity, said casing havingfiuid-chambers both above and below the filter and the said filterdisengaged from the casing at its ends, substantially as described.

3. A water-filter comprising a casing with inlet and outlet openings atits ends and a gravity-filter confined within said casing andconstructed to discharge the filtered fiuid into the upper end of thesaid casing, said lter provided with suitable packing about its sideagainst the said casing and free to filter when the flow of water isshut off, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

4. A Huid-filter comprising a cylindrical filter in said casing andashield interposed becasing having inlet and outlet openings at itsrespective ends and a gravity-filter therein constructed to rise underpressure as the filtered iiuid is withdrawn and to descend by its owngravity when withdrawalof1 fluid ceases, said filter packed aboutitsside against the inside ofthe casing and wholly independent of thecasing at its ends, whereby the filtered fiuid is discharged directlyinto the top of the casing ready to be drawn off, substantially asdescribed.

5. In filters, a gravity-filter having a chamber filled with granularfiltering material and a fibrous material over said chamber to confinesaid granular material, and a casing in which said filter isconfined,said casing having an outlet at its top wholly apart from the filter andthe filter free from the casing except about its side, substantially asdescribed.

6. In filters, a casing with an inlet at its bottom for unfiltered fluidand an outlet at its top for filtered fluid, in combination with agravity-filter in said casing between the ends thereof, and afluid-inlet pipe projecting into the casing at the bottom and servingas, a rest for the filter, thereby also forming a sedimentchamber in thebottom of' said casing, substantially as described.

7. In water-filters, a casing having inlet and outlet openings at itsrespective ends, a gravity-filter in said casing, a fixed stop for saidfilter projecting into the ,casing and a shield on the filter over saidstop, thereby leaving a space beneath the filter forsedimentary'deposits, substantially as described.

8. In water-filters, a casing having an inlet at its bottom and anoutlet at its top, a gravitytween the filter and the said inlet andfixed on said filter, substantially as described. V

9. The filter-casing and the plunger-filter therein, and a shield fixedto the bottom of the filter, substantially as described. A

l0. The filter-casing having a water-inlet below and a water-outletabove, a plunger-filter therein and a substantially dish-shaped shieldfixed to the filter over said inlet, substantially as described.

1l. The filter-casing having a water-inlet below and a water-outletabove, a gravity-filter in said casing and means controlled by saidfilter to substantially close said Water-outlet when the filter rises tothe top of' the casing, substantially as described.

12. A water-filter casing having openings at its ends, and aplunger-filter in said casing having a body containing a granularfiltering -medium and a separate upper portion containing a fibrousltering medium, and packing about said filter on the side of the casing,substantially as described.

13. In water-filters, a filter-casing provided with an inlet and anoutlet at its respective ends, a filter within said casing between saidinlet and outlet ends and disconnected from said ends and constructed todischarge the water within the upper end of the said casing,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

Y CHRISTIAN KASPER. Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER,

C. A. SELL.

